Jan, Jan, Jan!
by Jessikah
Summary: Jan, feeling isolated and outcasted from her family, begins spiraling into a world of Depression, Eating Disorders, and Suicide Attempts. Read and review!
1. (Prologue) - I'm nobody, who are you?

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Tonight's a big night for me, Marsha announced to her family, who was gathered at the dining room table, I have a date with the cutest boy in school!His name is Mark Ruthers he asked me out just this morning!Marsha beamed as she said this, and then scooped another spoonful of mashed potatoes from the bowl in front of her.

_Marsha always has the dates.All the boys love Marsha everybody loves Marsha.Me, I'm Nobody.Who would date me?_Jan twirled her ratted blond hair around her finger in thought.

And how was your day today, Greg?Mrs. Brady questioned her oldest son.

Terrific!I found out that I have an A in math!

Jan thought back to the day before._Of course, I got a C.Who cares that I brought it up from a D-?What am I but a shadow in Greg's perfect light?_

The Brady family continued their stories right down the line, each Brady child producing another wonderful event that occurred during their day.Then came Jan's turn.

Jan, I got a call from your teacher today she said you skipped class.Is this true?Mrs. Brady turned a disapproving glance toward her daughter.

_Yeah, that's right.Skipped class.Skipped all my homework assignments not like it matters anymore, _Jan thought bitterly.She didn't say this aloud, but instead replied,

Yeah I wasn't feeling so well, so I went for a walk outside for some fresh air.Jan looked down at her plate guiltily.

Jan, that's the third time this week!This has got to stop.With that, Mrs. Brady stood up and began to help Alice clear the dinner plates from the table.

9:00 PM, time for bed.Marsha sat on her bed carefully smoothing out her long, flaxen hair with a soft brush.

_Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.Little Miss Pretty. I'll show her!_Jan walked into the bathroom and closed the door.She took a bottle of black hair dye that she'd bought that day from her pocket, and then set it on the bathroom counter.Taking Marsha's favorite bottle of Shampoo from the tub, she unscrewed its lid and emptied the contents into the sink.Grinning, she then opened the bottle of hair dye, and poured it into the Shampoo bottle.Screwing the lid back on the bottle of Shampoo, Jan smirked.She put it back in its rightful place, left the bathroom, and sat back on her bed to begin combing her own gnarled, pale blond hair.


	2. ... Are you nobody too?

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_*** End of Prologue*** Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.Little Miss Pretty. I'll show her!_Jan walked into the bathroom and closed the door.She took a bottle of black hair dye that she'd bought that day from her pocket, and then set it on the bathroom counter.Taking Marsha's favorite bottle of Shampoo from the tub, she unscrewed its lid and emptied the contents into the sink.Grinning, she then opened the bottle of hair dye, and poured it into the Shampoo bottle.Screwing the lid back on the bottle of Shampoo, Jan smirked.She put it back in its rightful place, left the bathroom, and sat back on her bed to begin combing her own gnarled, pale blond hair.  
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Sorry it took me so long to upload, everyone!! Computer was down!! Anyway, R+R please!! I don't know if this sounds like Jan or not ... but I want to know if anyone has any ideas on what should happen next! Thanks! ~~Jessikah~~  
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Chapter One:

"Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jan asked Mrs. Brady, who was standing in the kitchen preparing a salad for dinner.

"I'm sorry Jan, but I really can't. I'm busy right now. Why don't you go talk to your father?" Mrs. Brady sliced off another piece of cucumber.

_No, Dad's busy too. You're all too busy. Who wants to talk to me anyway?_ Jan started to walk out of the kitchen.

"No, that's fine, Mom ... it wasn't all that important anyway." Jan walked out of the kitchen, and soon began the ascent to her upstairs room.

"Don't forget, dinner is in 10 minutes!" Mrs. Brady called after her. Jan slammed the door to her room, threw her head down on her pillow, and cried. A few minutes later she pulled out a math test she had taken earlier that day.

_ Finally, a B+ ... not like anybody would care anyway!_

"Jan! Time for dinner!" A voice called from downstairs. Jan threw her legs over the side of her bed, and started downstairs.

*** 10 minutes later ***

"Jan, aren't you going to eat some more? You barely touched your chicken!" Marsha looked at her sister in a concerned manner. Jan only shrugged and twirled her fork in circles on her plate. 

"Don't bother your sister, Marsha. She's probably just not hungry today, that's all." Mrs. Brady gave Marsha a sharp glance, and smiled at Jan. "Still, won't you have some more mashed potatoes, Jan? You seem to be eating that tonight ..." Jan didn't look up. She began to cut her chicken into quarters, into eighths, then ultimately into sixteenths. Putting one of the bits into her mouth, she chewed 10 times before swallowing, then took a large gulp of water. Then, putting her glass back down on the table, she spoke.

"May I be excused?" Jan asked, "I haven't been feeling so great lately."

"Of course, dear. I'm sure Alice would be glad to do your share of dishes tonight. I'll be up to check on you after dinner. But remember ... sick or not, you're still grounded until Marsha's hair grows out. Your little "prank" yesterday really disappointed your father and I, and you'll have to be punished." Mrs. Brady grabbed the bowl of mashed potatoes and passed it to Greg, who didn't give Jan a second glance. In fact, except for Mrs. Brady, no one did.

Jan dabbed at her mouth with the corner of her napkin and stood up from the table. She then walked briskly through the kitchen, up the stairs, and to the bathroom that she and her sister shared. There she stuck her index into her throat, and gagged until all the mashed potatoes and bits of chicken that she had swallowed were in the toilet bowl. Flushing the toilet, she gave herself a grin in the mirror. At least she could do something right. Maybe if she were thin, then her parents wouldn't be disappointed in her anymore.

_ And maybe, someday, I'll be just as popular as Jan ... if not more!_

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	3. Then there's a pair of us?

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_*** End of Last Chapter*** _

Jan dabbed at her mouth with the corner of her napkin and stood up from the table. She then walked briskly through the kitchen, up the stairs, and to the bathroom that she and her sister shared. There she stuck her index into her throat, and gagged until all the mashed potatoes and bits of chicken that she had swallowed were in the toilet bowl. Flushing the toilet, she gave herself a grin in the mirror. At least she could do something right. Maybe if she were thin, then her parents wouldn't be disappointed in her anymore.

_ And maybe, someday, I'll be just as popular as Marsha ... if not more!_

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Sorry it took me so long to upload, everyone!! Computer was down!! Anyway, R+R please!! Thanks to all of you who already have =-) P.S.: I want to know if anyone has any ideas on what should happen next! Thanks! ~~Jessikah~~  
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Jan sat on the backyard swing, melanchololy spinning in wide circles. Nearby, Greg and Peter tossed a football back and forth. She tried to ignore the burning feeling in her throat; she had been throwing up for 15 days now, after nearly every meal. At about 300 calories a day, plus throwing up, she was begining to feel the effects. Lightheaded, she tried to focus on the boys' game.

"Hey Jan, come play!" Peter yelled. Jan stood up and walked to where the boys were huddled in the center of the yard.. Suddenly, the whole world seemed to spin around her, and she felt the ground give way beneath her feet. Jan felt Greg grab her shoulders roughly as darkness overcame her.

*** Time Lapse ***

Jan awoke to a mass of faces, small and large, staring at her conernedly. Glancing around, she saw that she was in the safety of her own room; only now, her family had invaded this semi-private realm of hers.

"What's wrong?" Jan mumbled groggily. She was still too tired to understand the situation.

"You passed out, Jan," her father spoke, "Greg and Peter carried you up here. We were about to call a doctor when you woke up."

"Do you want us to call the doctor anyway? You still look a little ill," Jan's mother remarked, "and very thin, actually. Have you been sick lately?"

_Oh shit, _Jan thought,_ no doctors! They can't find out. I've got to figure out an excuse ... fast!_

"No mom, I'm fine ... I think I'll just rest for a bit. I stayed up really late studying for a test I had in school today, that's probably why I passed out. I should be fine now ... thanks." Jan put on her best smile. With that, Jan's sisters and brothers left the room, followed by Alice and her father. Only her mother remained.

"You're sure you're alright, Jan? Do you want me to bring you anything to eat?"

"Yeah, mom ... Fine." With that, Carol Brady walked over to the light switch, turned off the lights, and left the room.

_Damn that was close! But I will reign supreme! They will never find out! _Jan, suddenly feeling a chill come over her, pulled her blankets over her head to shut out the cold of her room. She then curled herself into a little ball and fell asleep.

*** Time Lapse ***

Two hours later, Jan awoke. She threw her legs over the side of her bed and stood up. She swayed momentarily.

_C'mon Jan, you can do it. Just pull yourself together. That's it. Keep walking. Look at yourself in the mirror. You're getting closer, closer to your goal._ Jan pulled up her green-and-white striped t-shirt and lightly brushed her fingers over her ribs which now protruded from her chest. _Now go downstairs and show your family what you're made of! You'll show **them** how strong you can be!_ Jan padded sluggishly down the stairs and into the den, where Mike was drawing at his desk. 

"Hi Jan, what brings you in here?" Mike swiveled his chair and turned to look at his daughter.

Though at first, her image of her father was clear, her vision rapidly began to blur. One moment Jan was looking at her father, the next moment she was looking at the ceiling. A sharp pain stabbed at her stomach. Seeing the now fuzzy Mike Brady run out of the room, Jan wondered what the emergency was. She tried to stand, but her legs, for some reason, wouldn't support her. They only crumbled under her weight. The room was now a white-and-grey haze. 

Jan felt her heart begin to race, as though it was beating out of her chest. Gasping for air, Jan flailed her arms about uselessly. Then she went into shock.


	4. Don't tell they'd advertise!

*** End of Last Chapter*** Though at first, her image of her father was clear, her vision rapidly began to blur. One moment Jan was looking at her father, the next moment she was looking at the ceiling. A sharp pain stabbed at her stomach. Seeing the now fuzzy Mike Brady run out of the room, Jan wondered what the emergency was. She tried to stand, but her legs, for some reason, wouldn't support her. They only crumbled under her weight. The room was now a white-and-grey haze. Jan felt her heart begin to race, as though it was beating out of her chest. Gasping for air, Jan flailed her arms about uselessly. Then she went into shock. *******************************  
  
Sorry it took me so long to upload, everyone!! Life Happens!!! Anyway, R+R please!! Thanks to all of you who already have =-) P.S.: I want to know if anyone has any ideas on what should happen next! Thanks! ~~Jessikah~~  
  
******************************* Jan looked in the mirror before her. A small, waif of an image smiled back at her. Beautiful. Soon, however, the figure slowly began to warp itself . curves became larger . filled the mirror. The mirror, not able to withstand the ever-growing figure's insurmountable pressure, exploded. Shards flew everywhere; each shard took root in the floor around her, grew into a new mirror. Jan ran, but no matter how fast she ran, she could not escape her grotesque, obese figure staring back at her from every mirror. She ran finally into an old-fashioned elevator with brass doors, ready to flee. The doors closed, and Jan watched as the elevator ascended from floor 145 to floor 100. Then, without warning, there was a loud snapping sound. The elevator flew toward the floor, and before Jan could let out even the slightest scream everything had turned white. The room was chilly when Jan awoke. There seemed at first to be no one in sight, only bleeping heart monitors and IVs, which constantly dripped foreign fluids into her veins. On second glance, Jan noticed a small waif of a girl sitting I the bed next to her - long, raven black hair, emerald eyes, and tiny cherub-like lips in which she slowly spooned lumps of cherry jell-O. Though no words had been spoken, suddenly the girl, realizing she was being watched, snapped her head toward Jan, and glared motionless in her direction. Her eyes seemed to glow with an immense fiery hatred; of what, Jan couldn't dream of knowing. Within a few seconds, the girl started to spasm. She flung her jell-O across the room, tore the IV lines out of her arm, and began ripping off all the various monitors attached to her body. Almost instantly a nurse appeared; she brandished a silver tipped needle and injected something into the strange girl's arm. The girl gazed once more in Jan's direction - she became glassy-eyed; her look was dull, expressionless. The girl tumbled to her side on the bed, and ceased to stir. *** Time Lapse *** "Mom, I want out of here!" Jan cried. Mrs. Brady embraced her daughter, pulled away after a few seconds, and then stroked Jan's face. "I'm sorry, the doctor's said ." "I don't CARE what the doctors say! I hate it here! I want my own room and my own things! I hate being in a bed all day!" "Jan, you know you don't have the strength to stand, let alone move around our house on your own." "Strength? I have plenty of strength! See?!" With that, Jan stood up and threw her scrawny, skeleton-like legs over the side of her hospital bed. Touching the rails of the bed once for balance, she then marched across the room haughtily. Mrs. Brady looked at her with concern. The room, once so comprehensible and clear, became topsy-turvy. Jan felt first nauseous, as though on a galleon at sea. Then, strangely enough, she felt great - she was flying! Wow, this feels great! Nothing matters anymore, I'm free! Jan never saw her distraught mother catching her fallen daughter and screaming desperately for help. All she saw was the room becoming dimmer, dimmer . dark. 


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